Best Northern Lights Experiences in 2025: Icehotels, Arctic floats, Huskies & More
- The Blueberry Trails
- Sep 20
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 20
There are trips you take, and then there are trips you take. Some of them will rewrite your definition of wonder. Chasing the Northern Lights in 2025 will definitely be a masterclass in wonder.
With the solar cycle hitting a high, the aurora is predicted to be stronger and more frequent than it’s been in years, which means this is the season to bundle up, head north, and watch the sky set itself on fire.
But the real magic isn’t just in the lights; it’s in how you choose to experience them. This list of best northern lights experiences is not a bucket list — it’s the whole Northern Lights tasting menu.
Crash course in the Northern Lights Season:
Best season: late Sept → mid-Mar (long nights). 2025 has strong solar activity — good window.
Stay at least 3–5 nights to increase chances; flexibility = wins. (If you can, pick places with aurora alarms and multiple activity nights.)
Book glass igloos, Icehotel rooms, and small boutique lodges months in advance (they fill).
Bring tripod, fast wide lens, spare batteries (cold kills battery life), and layers.
Consider a multi-night fjord cruise if you want to avoid the logistics shuffle — ships actively chase clearer skies.
1) Husky / dog-sledging under the lights (Norway, Finland ,Sweden)
Where: Finnish Lapland (Rovaniemi, Saariselkä), Swedish Lapland (Kiruna).
Why: Classic Arctic vibe — you drive a sledge or ride while dogs do the hard work and look majestic. Many tours run evening “Aurora” sledges, so the dogs + lights combo is possible in one night. Book operators that run small groups for better photos & quieter trails.
2) Snowmobiling a.k.a aurora night rides (Norway, Finland, Iceland)
Where: Northern Norway (Lyngen, Tromsø region), Finland (Kilpisjärvi).
Why: Fast, scenic, and enormous adrenaline — guides take you away from light pollution so you can chase clear skies. Good for short nights out that still feel epic. Expect guided rides of a few hours into remote valleys.
3) Sami cultural + reindeer experience (Finland, Sweden, Norway)
Where: Tromsø, Alta, parts of Finnish Lapland.
Why: Genuine cultural exchange: reindeer sledding, joik (Sami singing), stories inside a lavvu (Sami tent) and local cooking. These tours combine learning with aurora-watching at Sami camps — culturally immersive and low on tourist fluff.
4) Northern-lights fjord cruise (sea = less light) (Norway)
Where: Coastal Norway — voyages that run above the Arctic Circle (Bergen → Tromsø / North Cape lines).
Why: Ships move under different skies (if clouds block one port, you sail to clearer ones). Big operators like Hurtigruten even offer a “Northern Lights Promise” on qualifying voyages. Great if you want aurora viewing + comfy cabin + fjord scenery.
5) Reindeer (sleigh) experiences (Finland)
Where: Tromsø reindeer camps, Rovaniemi, various Lapland farms.
Why: Slow, soulful, photogenic, often bundled with Sami storytelling and a hot drink. Perfect if you want an atmospheric, low-impact evening with a strong chance of aurora nearby.
6) Glass igloos / ice-hotel / igloo stays (Finland, Sweden)
Where: Kakslauttanen & surrounding resorts (Finland), ICEHOTEL (Jukkasjärvi, Sweden).
Why: Sleep in a heated glass cabin (or artist-designed ice room) so if the aurora pops you see it from bed — zero midnight stumbling. This is the “romantic-but-also-pretty-cold-and-very-instagrammable” option.
7) Boutique stays / luxury lodges (Iceland, Finland, Norway)
Where: Arctic TreeHouse Hotel (Rovaniemi), Ion hotel, Iceland, Malangen Resort / Lyngen Lodge (near Tromsø), boutique lodges around Alta and Lofoten.
Why: Stylish rooms, often with aurora alarms, sauna options, small-group excursions and chef food — for people who want to chase lights without giving up creature comforts.
8) Sauna culture + wellness stays (Finland, Sweden)
Where: Finland (everywhere), especially lakeside lodges and boutique hotels in Lapland.
Why: Finish a cold aurora hunt with a wood-fired sauna and a dip (or roll) in snow/ice — the Finns are not messing around. Combine with glass-igloo stays or cabin lodges for max hygge.
9) Aurora Floating (Rovaniemi, Finland) - Best Northern Lights experiences
Where: Rovaniemi,Finland.
What it is: You climb into a bright red survival suit (think Michelin Man meets NASA), waddle into an icy lake at night, then float on your back in total stillness while you (hopefully) watch the aurora swirl overhead.
Why: You’re literally bobbing in a frozen lake, warm and dry inside a suit, with zero noise or light around. Pairs perfectly with sauna before/after.
Good to know: No swimming skill needed (the suits are buoyant), and it runs only on small groups. Great for storytelling later: “I saw the Northern Lights while floating like a dumpling in -15°C water.”
10) Northern Lights & Geothermal Lagoons (Iceland)
Where: Blue Lagoon, Sky Lagoon (near Reykjavík), or the new Forest Lagoon in Akureyri.
What it is: Instead of freezing in a snowsuit, you sink into a steaming geothermal pool under the night sky. When the aurora appears, it dances right above the mist — surreal, steamy, otherworldly.
Why: Iceland fuses its geothermal magic with the aurora. No other Arctic region lets you watch the lights while sipping a drink in a lava-framed lagoon. It’s indulgent, photogenic, and uniquely Iceland.
Good to know: Lagoon sessions get booked fast in aurora season, so pre-reserve evenings;
The aurora is unpredictable, but the adventure around it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re dashing across frozen landscapes with huskies, floating in a Lapland lake, or warming up in a glass igloo as the night sky turns electric, 2025 is the year to make it happen. At The Blueberry Trails, we believe travel should feel personal, immersive, and unforgettable — and chasing the Northern Lights is exactly that. So if the Arctic is calling, let us help you design a journey that’s more than a checklist — it’s a story you’ll tell for the rest of your life.
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